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On the Origins of Dragons
The following is a piece of lore regarding the origins of the Dragon race within Incantre. The Primarchs and Elementals had been little more than mindless servants to the Urathear. Simply an extension of their own power used to perform tedious tasks. The Primarchs were made of intangible things such as ethics, morals, and emotions. This group would one day separate into two polar opposites: Celestials and Fiends. The Elementals were a much simpler collection, made of more physical things such as fire, earth, water and so on. These creatures performed their tasks without question and without thought, for neither group possessed the gift of soul, thought or free will. These invaluable gifts for the first time would be bestowed upon those called dragons. The universe had been created and the Urathear enjoyed their work. Each, in turn, adding something to Incantre. Pleased with this, the Urathear released their servants to roam freely upon the world. All manner of elementals and primarchs set free to become races of their own; all but the magicka wisps of Osdaen. Incantre, at its creation, had been imbued with arcane power and in the darkness was blessed with Osdaen's light, yet these serpentine wisps of the purest mana swam among the stars playing and singing, seeming as if they had thought, perhaps happy to be near their master. All was well until one of the gods noticed that the Foundling creatures (the Elementals and Primarchs) had begun to destroy Incantre, as they were lost without the commands of their masters and they struggled to become races on their own. It was decided a new race would be made; one with all the powers of all elements, all emotions, and free will. However, to combine such power these new beings would need a soul. It was a radical idea to give such lowly creatures a gift so close to the gods, but the Elementals and Primarchs had shown they were not worthy. Each Urathear had an opinion of what the new race should be and each presented an attribute they wished to combine within these new creatures. They were given great strength and endurance with the innate ability to use the elements combined within them for protection against their older siblings. The gods had hoped the Foundling races would learn from each other. Nolveda was the first to speak, her voice a rustle of leaves. The fae-like goddess offered flight, fortune and healing as well as a connection to growth. It was she who suggested they be born of eggs, to grow like the seeds of the most ancient trees and to learn as they grew. Ryaus gave them a touch of the earth and the cunning to be the deadliest of predators, tempered with the wisdom to respect the land - such as the Primarchs and Elementals had not done. Kah'ne gave them a fondness and knowledge of crystals and all shiny things, an instinct to dwell within caves in order to keep their treasures safe and the use of venom like a serpent or spider. (It is said dragons eventually evolved the venom into one of the variants of breath weapons they all possess.) Dresnok sneered at Kah'ne's contribution and thrust forth gold and valuable finds, a love of finely crafted metals. But most well known of all, he gave them fire. Gru'mal watched his brother, and knowing now these creatures would need protection from their own fire he granted them scales as hard as stone. Lieathe smiled with one face and gave them the gift of song and music, love and gentleness, but quickly turned her other face. The glare of a scorned lover, as cold as ice to match her heart, so then cold was added as well. Jadaos gave them honor, valor and courage, as well as the design for a body set to move lithely under Gru'mal's armor; to this he added natural weapons, claws and spikes for battle, teeth and jaws to crush bone. Miciea shook her head at Jadaos and stepped forward. She offered the love and knowledge of water and the strength and endurance to fly in a storm. She gave them patience as well as wrath, all flowing and moving akin to the sea. Adsel had remained quiet but spoke as Uthalion stepped forward. (At a later time, Adsel would give them the power to shapeshift, but that story is for another time). She halted her brother, holding out the palm of her hand wherein sat a ball of shadow, twisting and writhing. Its very essence spoke of her inner nature. She spoke with a slow, seductive tone. "We have no body in which to place all these wonderful gifts; may I offer this, my contribution?" The dark goddess smiled as Uthalion stared down into the palm of her hand; it was plain to see he did not trust her intentions. It was then that Osdaen spoke, his silvery voice carrying through the chamber. "That is kind of you Adsel, but the body has been spoken for." Osdaen whistled, and heeding his call were five serpentine wisps. Like little snakes they danced before the gods, their forms beautiful and alluring. Uthalion was pleased by the mana wyrms; even Adsel was taken by them, for they were truly works of art. "You have outdone yourself Osdaen. And here I thought you a god of no talent." She smiled at the jab she had made, and then stepped back to allow the mage god command of the shapes. Uthalion himself offered his gift, the touch of the stars, something that cannot be described by mortals. The star god then motioned for Sorai, for it was she who would give them souls, yet she paused considering each wyrm, each new dragon. Delicately, she drew them one at a time close to her, placing a kiss upon their heads, and as each kiss was placed the silvery creature took its own color and distinct characteristics. For not all were exactly the same, each mixture of gifts showing in its own way. When Sorai was done, the five floated before their creators. They were instructed to descend upon the world and watch over it. To populate it with their children and to speak to the other Foundlings and perhaps guide them so as not to harm the newly created Incantre. Each dragon nodded, seeking to do as they were told, each in turn claiming a realm of the world in which to dwell. The fires of the earth, the forests of the land, the waters of the sea, the clouds of the air. But the fifth dragon, now with a soul and the knowledge of compassion, begged to be allowed to stay among the stars, for the world of Incantre might one day have need of its creators. She offered to be their messenger and watch over her kin. The Urathear agreed to this and allowed the fifth to swim among the stars, though every so often she would set her feet upon the earth and mingle with her kin. At first it was that the Primarchs, Elementals and dragons lived together upon the world. The first generation of the dragons receiving all the attention of their creators, the dragons became more diverse under the many teachings of the twelve. Those dragons who found their favored element to be fire followed the teachings of Dresnok, learning to master the flame and heat of the earth, but again this is a story for another time. Those who favored the earth followed Ryaus and Gru'mal. Those who came to be called sea serpents followed Miciea, and the leviathans of the air took a balance between Uthalion and Osadean. But it is not to say there were only these four groups; all twelve Urathear favored pockets of dragons, whispering secrets to them in an attempt to have the better group of dragons in their namesake. Even still further there were some dragons who, like the fifth, retained more than one power. Eventually there grew to be much strife between the dragons and their older siblings. The Primarchs had begun a civil war amongst themselves, becoming what we now know as Celestrials and Fiends. And the Elementals, being that there were purely of one element, could not help but destroy some of what they touched. It was because of this that the gods placed the Elementals in their own planes of existence away from Incantre. As for the Primarchs, their feuding was unacceptable and they too were banished, leaving the world solely to the dragons. It was this action that caused the dragons to believe they were the favored children, and that they had the right to inherit the world.